We saw it in countless movies, but the reality is grittier and more miserable than any overblown disaster flick. Smudge everywhere, small hills of dead rats, stairs that descent into tunnels full of filthy water… New York City flooded after Sandy is a dreadful place.

South Ferry & Whitehall Street subway station flooded

Another photo of a subway station flooded: 86 street.

Photos: Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Harmon Yard on MNR's Hudson Line 8:45 am. Flooding at Metro-North's Harmon Yard on the Hudson Line, at 8:45 a.m. this morning.

Flood waters entered the Long Island Rail Road's West Side Yard. All trains had been removed from the yard prior to the arrival of the storm.

Photo: Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Long Island Rail Road

Flood waters entered the Long Island Rail Road's West Side Yard. All trains had been removed from the yard prior to the arrival of the storm.

Photo: Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Long Island Rail Road

A parking lot full of buses is flooded as a result of superstorm Sandy on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012 in Hoboken, NJ.

Photo: Charles Sykes/AP

Vehicles are submerged on 14th Street near the Consolidated Edison power plant, Monday, Oct. 29, 2012, in New York. Sandy continued on its path Monday, as the storm forced the shutdown of mass transit, schools and financial markets, sending coastal residents fleeing, and threatening a dangerous mix of high winds and soaking rain.

Photo: John Minchillo/AP

Water and debris blocks a section of South Street in lower Manhattan, Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, in New York. Sandy, the storm that made landfall Monday, caused multiple fatalities, halted mass transit and cut power to more than 6 million homes and businesses.

Photo: Louis Lanzano/AP

Streets around a Con Edison substation are flooded as the East River overflows into the Dumbo section of Brooklyn, N.Y., as Sandy moves through the area on Monday, Oct. 29, 2012. Superstorm Sandy zeroed in on New York's waterfront with fierce rain and winds that shuttered most of the nation's largest city Monday, darkened the financial district and left a huge crane hanging off a luxury high-rise.

Photo: Bebeto Matthews/AP

A parking lot full of yellow cabs is flooded as a result of superstorm Sandy on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012 in Hoboken, NJ.

Photo: Charles Sykes/AP

A street and business are flooded as a result of Hurricane Sandy on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012 in Hoboken, NJ.

Photo: Charles Sykes/AP

Sea water floods the Ground Zero construction site, Monday, Oct. 29, 2012, in New York. Sandy continued on its path Monday, as the storm forced the shutdown of mass transit, schools and financial markets, sending coastal residents fleeing, and threatening a dangerous mix of high winds and soaking rain.

Photo: John Minchillo/AP

Water reaches the street level of the flooded Battery Park Underpass, Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, in New York. Sandy arrived along the East Coast and morphed into a huge and problematic system,putting more than 7.5 million homes and businesses in the dark and causing a number of deaths.

Photo: Louis Lanzano/AP

Check out this photo from LaGuardia Airport, completely flooded. "Glad I made it out of NYC Sunday at 11 pm on last AA flight out! Picture from LGA today by JetBlue gate"

Photo: Vincent Laforet.

A runway at the Teterboro Airport is flooded in the wake of superstorm Sandy on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, in New York. Sandy, the storm that made landfall Monday, caused multiple fatalities, halted mass transit and cut power to more than 6 million homes and businesses.

Photo: Mike Groll/AP

In this photo provided by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey a surveillance camera captures the PATH station in Hoboken, N.J., as it is flooded shortly before 9:30 p.m. EDT on Monday, Oct. 29, 2012. Sandy continued on its path Monday, as the storm forced the shutdown of mass transit, schools and financial markets, sending coastal residents fleeing, and threatening a dangerous mix of high winds and soaking rain.

Photo: Port Authority of New York and New Jersey/AP

Streets are flooded under the Manhattan Bridge in the Dumbo section of Brooklyn, N.Y., Monday, Oct. 29, 2012. Sandy continued on its path Monday, as the storm forced the shutdown of mass transit, schools and financial markets, sending coastal residents fleeing, and threatening a dangerous mix of high winds and soaking rain.

Photo: Bebeto Matthews/AP

"Here we are marooned in Red Hook, Brooklyn!!"

Photo: Greenpainting

A boat floats in the driveway of a home in the aftermath of superstorm Sandy, Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, in Lindenhurst, N.Y.

Photo: Jason DeCrow/AP

An ambulance sits abandoned in the middle of a flooded street after Hurricane Sandy October 30, 2012 in Hoboken, New Jersey. The storm has claimed at least 40 lives in the United States and has caused massive flooding across much of the Atlantic seaboard. U.S. President Barack Obama has declared the situation a ‘major disaster' for large areas of the U.S. east coast, including New York City, with widespread power outages and significant flooding in parts of the city.

Photo: Michael Bocchieri/Getty Images

Residents stand in front of a building on a flooded street after Hurricane Sandy October 30, 2012 in Hoboken, New Jersey. The storm has claimed at least 40 lives in the United States and has caused massive flooding across much of the Atlantic seaboard. U.S. President Barack Obama has declared the situation a ‘major disaster' for large areas of the U.S. east coast, including New York City, with widespread power outages and significant flooding in parts of the city.

Photo: Michael Bocchieri/Getty Images

A man walks down a street flooded street with his dog on his back after Hurricane Sandy October 30, 2012 in Hoboken, New Jersey. The storm has claimed at least 40 lives in the United States and has caused massive flooding across much of the Atlantic seaboard. U.S. President Barack Obama has declared the situation a ‘major disaster' for large areas of the U.S. east coast, including New York City, with widespread power outages and significant flooding in parts of the city.

Photo: Michael Bocchieri/Getty Images

People look at homes and businesses destroyed during Hurricane Sandy on October 30, 2012 in the Rockaway section of the Queens borough of New York City. At least 40 people were reportedly killed in the U.S. by Sandy as millions of people in the eastern United States have awoken to widespread power outages, flooded homes and downed trees. New York City was hit especially hard with wide spread power outages and significant flooding in parts of the city.

A man monitors the drainage of a flooded basement caused by Hurricane Sandy on October 30, 2012 in the Lower East Side neighborhood of New York City. The storm has claimed at least 40 lives in the United States, and has caused massive flooding accross much of the Atlantic seaboard. US President Barack Obama has declared the situation a ‘major disaster' for large areas of the US East Coast including New York City.

Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images

Cars sit in flood waters from Hurricane Sandy on October 30, 2012 in Toms River, New Jersey. The storm has claimed at least 40 lives in the United States, and has caused massive flooding across much of the Atlantic seaboard. US President Barack Obama has declared the situation a ‘major disaster' for large areas of the US East Coast including New York City.

Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

A couple who chose not to evacuate their house (background) watch an emergency responder, on October 30, 2012, in Little Ferry, New Jersey. The storm has claimed at least 16 lives in the United States, and has caused massive flooding accross much of the Atlantic seaboard. US President Barack Obama has declared the situation a ‘major disaster' for large areas of the US East Coast including New York City.

Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images

A general view of submerged cars on Ave. C and 7th st, after severe flooding caused by Hurricane Sandy, on October 30, 2012 in Manhattan, New York. The storm has claimed at least 16 lives in the United States, and has caused massive flooding across much of the Atlantic seaboard. US President Barack Obama has declared the situation a ‘major disaster' for large areas of the US East Coast including New York City, with wide spread power outages and significant flooding in parts of the city.

Photo: Christos Pathiakis/Getty Images

A man kayaks down a street flooded by Hurricane Sandy on October 30, 2012 in Island Heights, New Jersey. The storm has claimed at least 40 lives in the United States, and has caused massive flooding accross much of the Atlantic seaboard. US President Barack Obama has declared the situation a ‘major disaster' for large areas of the US East Coast including New York City.

Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

A man surveys the damage to his basement after flooding due to Hurricane Sandy, on October 30, 2012, in Little Ferry, New Jersey. The storm has claimed at least 16 lives in the United States, and has caused massive flooding accross much of the Atlantic seaboard. US President Barack Obama has declared the situation a ‘major disaster' for large areas of the US East Coast including New York City.

Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images

An emergency responder helps evacuate two people with a boat, after their neighborhood experienced flooding due to Hurricane Sandy, on October 30, 2012, in Little Ferry, New Jersey. The storm has claimed at least 16 lives in the United States, and has caused massive flooding accross much of the Atlantic seaboard. US President Barack Obama has declared the situation a ‘major disaster' for large areas of the US East Coast including New York City.

Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images

A general view of submerged cars on Ave. C and 7th st, after severe flooding caused by Hurricane Sandy, on October 30, 2012 in Manhattan, New York. The storm has claimed at least 16 lives in the United States, and has caused massive flooding across much of the Atlantic seaboard. US President Barack Obama has declared the situation a ‘major disaster' for large areas of the US East Coast including New York City, with wide spread power outages and significant flooding in parts of the city.

Photo: Christos Pathiakis/Getty Images

The Brooklyn Battery Tunnel is flooded after a tidal surge caused by Hurricane Sandy, on October 30, 2012 in Manhattan, New York. The storm has claimed at least 16 lives in the United States, and has caused massive flooding across much of the Atlantic seaboard. US President Barack Obama has declared the situation a ‘major disaster' for large areas of the US East Coast including New York City, with wide spread power outages and significant flooding in parts of the city.

Photo: Allison Joyce/Getty Images

The Brooklyn Battery Tunnel is flooded after a tidal surge caused by Hurricane Sandy, on October 30, 2012 in Manhattan, New York. The storm has claimed at least 16 lives in the United States, and has caused massive flooding across much of the Atlantic seaboard. US President Barack Obama has declared the situation a ‘major disaster' for large areas of the US East Coast including New York City, with wide spread power outages and significant flooding in parts of the city.

Photo: Allison Joyce/Getty Images

People stand in front of house on flooded Ocean Ave., on October 30, 2012 in Avalon, New Jersey. The storm has claimed at least 16 lives in the United States, and has caused massive flooding across much of the Atlantic seaboard. US President Barack Obama has declared the situation a ‘major disaster' for large areas of the US East Coast including New York City, with wide spread power outages and significant flooding in parts of the city.

Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Water floods the Plaza Shops in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, on October 30, 2012 in Manhattan, New York.The storm has claimed at least 16 lives in the United States, and has caused massive flooding across much of the Atlantic seaboard. US President Barack Obama has declared the situation a ‘major disaster' for large areas of the US East Coast including New York City.

Photos: Allison Joyce/Getty Images

A child stands astride his bicycle on flooded street in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn after Hurricane Sandy caused extensive damage in the area on October 30, 2012 in New York, United States. The storm has claimed at least 16 lives in the United States, and has caused massive flooding across much of the Atlantic seaboard. US President Barack Obama has declared the situation a ‘major disaster' for large areas of the US East Coast including New York City, with wide spread power outages and significant flooding in parts of the city.

Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Cars floating in a flooded subterranian basement following Hurricaine Sandy on October 30, 2012 in the Financial District of New York, United States. The storm has claimed at least 16 lives in the United States, and has caused massive flooding accross much of the Atlantic seaboard. US President Barack Obama has declared the situation a ‘major disaster' for large areas of the US East Coast including New York City.

Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images

Water rushes into the Carey Tunnel (previously the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel), caused by Hurricane Sandy, October 29, 2012, in the Financial District of New York, United States. Hurricane Sandy, which threatens 50 million people in the eastern third of the U.S., is expected to bring days of rain, high winds and possibly heavy snow. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the closure of all New York City will bus, subway and commuter rail service as of Sunday evening.

Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images

Water rushes into the Carey Tunnel (previously the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel), caused by Hurricane Sandy, October 29, 2012, in the Financial District of New York, United States. Hurricane Sandy, which threatens 50 million people in the eastern third of the U.S., is expected to bring days of rain, high winds and possibly heavy snow. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the closure of all New York City will bus, subway and commuter rail service as of Sunday evening.

Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images

Rising water, caused by Hurricane Sandy, rushes into a subterranian parking garage on October 29, 2012, in the Financial District of New York, United States. Hurricane Sandy, which threatens 50 million people in the eastern third of the U.S., is expected to bring days of rain, high winds and possibly heavy snow. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the closure of all New York City will bus, subway and commuter rail service as of Sunday evening.